Increase in Iran's 'Advisory' Forces Deployment to Syria

Amid increasing reports of Iranian military personnel deaths in various regions of Syria, Ramadan Sharif, the public relations chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced on Friday, November 1, the 'increase of Iranian advisory forces' in the country. According to Fars News Agency, Sharif emphasized that Iranian forces in Syria have increased in response to what he described as a 'new round of battlefield developments in confronting Takfiri terrorist groups' in the country. Meanwhile, the Mashregh website in Iran reported on Saturday, November 2, that over 14 Iranian forces have been killed in Syria over the past 11 days, along with names and photos. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs, also mentioned on October 20 that Iran has increased the number of 'military advisors' in Syria at the request of the Syrian government, referring to military operations in Syria and 'broader measures to combat terrorism.' Following Russian military operations in Syria and reports of the Syrian army's 'advancement' with the support of Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah in Aleppo, more reports have emerged regarding the deaths of senior commanders and IRGC forces in Syria. Additionally, the IRGC's public relations chief reported on Friday the deaths of two members of the 'Ansar Corps' named Baqeri and Karimi in Syria. The Ansar al-Mahdi Corps is a subgroup of the IRGC responsible for protecting officials and authorities of the Islamic Republic. One member of this IRGC branch, Abdullah Baqeri, who was a bodyguard for former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was reportedly killed in Aleppo or its vicinity on Thursday, October 30. Meanwhile, the Asr Iran website stated that 'unofficial sources' reported the deaths of 15 Iranians in Syria on Thursday, although the IRGC's public relations chief denied this report. In recent days, the bodies of several Iranian forces killed in Syria have been buried in cities such as Hamadan, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Najafabad, and Sabzevar. Furthermore, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), on Friday evening, the body of Mohammad Estahkami, an Iranian killed in Syria, was buried in Jahrom. In this context, Amir-Abdollahian stated that Iran does not want Assad to remain in power forever. Five Iranians and three Afghans were killed in the Syrian clashes, and the former bodyguard of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was killed in Syria. John Kerry described the quadrilateral negotiations regarding Syria as 'constructive and fruitful.'